Inter-agency Emergency Standard Operating Procedures for Prevention of and Response to Gender-based Violence and Child Protection in Jordan

The National Council for Family Affairs, in cooperation with Save the Children, UNHCR, UNICEF and UNFPA, have launched a document outlining procedures for the enhancement of child protection (CP) and prevention of gender-based violence (GBV) with a particular focus on those affected by the Syrian crisis, whether living in camps, settlements or urban centres in Jordan. The document is the result of extensive consultations with national and international stakeholders, involving over 40 ministries, institutions and organizations,including members of the Child Protection and Gender-based violence Sub-Working Groups.  It aims to harmonise standards and procedures for responding to CP and GBV among all organisations providing prevention and response services to refugees and host populations, within the National Family Protection Framework. The procedures also indicate which organisations are responsible for action in the four main response sectors:  health, psychosocial support,  law/ justice and security.

The standard operating procedures (SOP’s) will help ensure that survivors of gender-based violence and children exposed to protection risks will be referred to appropriate specialised response services in a timely manner. They will be accompanied by a training programme and be widely disseminated to ensure that refugees and host communities are aware of the services available, and where they can be accessed.

Inter-agency Child Protection and Gender-based Violence assessments carried out in camps and urban settings in 2012/2013 showed that some of the key protection challenges facing refugees in Jordan were lack of access to services and information about services available, exploitation of women and children, gender-based violence including domestic violence, sexual violence and early marriage, children separated from their families, lack of access to education and child labour.

The SOP’s are designed to be used together with existing resources related to prevention and response to GBV and CP.